Montrose - Daily Press

MONTROSE — Jody Fullerton never heard the intruder coming Sunday. She’s just thankful the visitor, a 150-pound bear, didn’t decide to become better acquainted.

“I happened to look up, and there was a bear walking right toward me,” she recounted Tuesday. “It walked right up to our house like it wasn’t afraid of people. I dropped the hose and walked into my house, told my husband. Then it was sitting right by our window.”

Fullerton’s husband, Bob, had to fire a shotgun to frighten the bear away from the house. It took two more blasts to get it to hightail it up the canyon.

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The Fullertons live a few miles east of Montrose, on N74 Road. Jody Fullerton said although she and Bob keep a few bees, the bear hadn’t messed with the apiary, or approached their trash containers.

She was already somewhat concerned about bears in the area because her son reported seeing two on an earlier date, as he brought his horses across Highway 50 with his two children. One of the bears approached, she said.

As Fullerton had done, Maynes called the Division of Wildlife to report the bear. She said the officer told her many reports were received.

“I’d hate to come around the corner and face one of those things,” Maynes said. “If I was one of my neighbors, I’d like to know this is going on. If they’re this close to town, they’re going to be in town.”

“It’s not unusual that some folks would see bears,” DOW spokesman Joe Lewandowski said. “Obviously, areas around Montrose and toward Cerro Summit are great bear habitat. The best thing people can do is make bears feel unwelcome around their houses.”

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Comments

Bob wrote on Jul 7, 2009 1:39 PM:

" Bears tend to live in the mountains. WE cant expect them to move away because we want to move in. "




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Get Real wrote on Jul 6, 2009 12:44 PM:

" Wait!? OMG! There’re BEARS around here!? OMG… we are all going to die!

Seriously, are y’all kidding me!? Of course there’re bears and of course they appear EVERY SINGLE YEAR at this time. This is nothing new or even exciting.

Welcome to reality… if you don’t like it, move to an industrial city… no bears there except in the zoo!

Let me guess, next they're going to report that at some point in the fall it will SNOW! OMG… we are all going to die! "




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Mamma Bear wrote on Jul 6, 2009 9:53 AM:

" I work at the Black Canyon Natl Park--there has been a baby cub wandering around for weeks, with no Mama in sight--wonder if this is his mama..and how sad they got seperated. "




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just wonderin wrote on Jul 6, 2009 1:16 AM:

" well if you are raising bees wouldn't you kinda think this is a possibility that a bear might come around????? especially out of town??? "




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ha wrote on Jul 2, 2009 1:30 PM:

" "to DOW"- Buckhorn Lakes and Cerro Summit are also part of the City, should the bears be expected to know the city boundries? Bottom line is you dont live in the main city area of Montrose, you live in a rural area which means wildlife should be expected.

"Reply to Jen" I dont think she said people out east dont read the paper. Just that bears out that way shouldnt be a suprise.

I agree with Jweee, Really & Jen, this is silly. "




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JWeee wrote on Jul 2, 2009 11:52 AM:

" "To DOW" You'd shoot a bear simply for being in your driveway? Did a bear make you angry at some point? Would you shoot a human simply for being in your driveway? Because humans are much more dangerous predators than bears.
I think I'll come over and put up a tent in your back yard, then wonder why you're wandering around outside of my tent. ex. We're moving into their habitat. "




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to DOW wrote on Jul 2, 2009 10:51 AM:

" apparently you have not walked out to your driveway and encountered a bear, if i had had a gun that evening it wouldnt have died for fun. ps i live in annexed city limits. "




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Really wrote on Jul 2, 2009 10:41 AM:

" You had to read the paper to find out that there are bears out in rural areas? Um duh!!!! I dont think it is much different that saying oh my god there are fish in the river, we need to inform the public of this! "




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JWeee wrote on Jul 2, 2009 9:54 AM:

" I hope they don't just kill the bear... remember that we're moving into their habitat not the other way around. If you live in a rural area around Montrose this should be expected. As the article states, make the bears feel unwelcome - bear proof trash and keep other potential food sources unaccessable, get a dog that'll bark when it's around (or taiste good :o)), etc. "




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D.O.W wrote on Jul 1, 2009 6:55 PM:

" Well another bear that they can go kill for the fun of it because it looked at someone! "




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Reply to Jen wrote on Jul 1, 2009 6:54 PM:

" Well to answer you, I live out here, I am kind of glad to know that I can read the newspaper and find these kind of things out! There are people who live out east that really do read the paper you know. Sorry you are not impressed. But then again, I don't think your the only one who lives in Montrose. "




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Jen wrote on Jul 1, 2009 10:32 AM:

" Oh my bears outside of town Oh No! Are you serious that this is a suprise and warrants a story? Maybe a bear at the corner of Main and Townsend approaching people would be a better suprise. A bear out in a rural area, who cares, I am not impressed. "




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aj wrote on Jul 1, 2009 7:33 AM:

" Maybe if the state would reinstitute the spring bear hunt and allow baiting for bears again this wouldn't be happening so often. "




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